Columns

Nutria: It’s what’s for dinner in Louisiana

Guess what! Nutria are back in the news. Recent press reports indicate that these pesky rodents are moving inland to gnaw away at our swamplands. These little critters are taking over the state.

Exposing ‘Bootgate’ and news media

Finally, the press is doing some hard-hitting reporting about our upcoming presidential election. Some in the media are alleging that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wears lifts in his boots. Naturally, this “scandal” has taken on the name “Bootgate.” Why does DeSantis’ height matter?

Organize any dog birthday parties lately?

One of my co-workers has an autumnal tradition of spending a week of quality time with her dog Alfie around his birthday. Some may find that eccentric, but even she is skeptical of a trend I saw reported in the Wall Street Journal.

What did Rose Cheramie really know?

On Nov. 20, 1963, a 31-year-old woman known as Rose Cheramie was found lying next to the road after being hit by a car on Highway 190 near the Silver Slipper Club in Eunice. She was apparently quite drunk and had also been using drugs.

Defending Israel against rising anti-semitism is our fight

Initially I said to myself, this is not my battle. But then I watched, in horror, as people marched through the streets of Philadelphia chanting the genocidal slogan of the Palestinian people: “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free.

Four’s a charm for a Louisiana speaker!

It took four Louisiana congressmen 51 years before one of them became speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Second in line to being president, a responsibility and honor that very few receive. Finally, after all this time, an obscure young congressman from Shreveport made it.

Improving men’s health and wellbeing

Hopefully, the rugged beard I’ve been sporting will motivate at least one of my fellow men to take better care of his health this November. Every November, you see, two charitable organizations, Movember and No-Shave November, raise funds by encouraging men to not cut or shave their facial hair.

Must I glue my eyes to the TV?

I had forgotten about it, but my father once reminisced about finding elementary school-aged me habitually “watching” TV with my back turned to the set. He said I explained that I could imagine more interesting scenes in my mind.

Rayne boasted first radio station

Today, the call letters WBKB are assigned to the CBS television affiliate in the Alpena area of northern Michigan, but for a short time in the 1930s they belonged to the first radio station to broadcast in southwest Louisiana. The letters reflected the names of businessmen Hillman Bailey, Henry J.